How to use Fakespot, the AI tool that helps you detect fake reviews
July 18, 2023
If you shop online, chances are that you’ve seen – or been swayed – by fake reviews.
About 82% of consumers have come across a fake customer review in the past year, according to recent research. That number is even higher for 18- to 34-year-olds: 92% of them reported having read a fake review online.
So while there’s plenty of great deals on the internet, it pays off (literally) to not take those four- and five-star ratings at face value. Fakespot, which just became part of Mozilla, helps make it easy to filter out fake reviews, unreliable sellers, and counterfeit products so you love everything you buy and reduce your returns.
How it works: Fakespot uses AI to find patterns among reviews to detect the ones that are more likely to be untrustworthy. It then adjusts the rating and provides you with review highlights, pros and cons, price history, and alternative products from reputable brands.
Fakespot works on Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Sephora, Walmart and Shopify websites. Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Download and install the Fakespot add-on on Firefox.
Fakespot is also available on iOS, Android, Chrome, Edge, Safari, and all Chromium browsers. You can also just enter a supported website product link into the Fakespot Analyzer Bar without downloading anything.
Fakespot recommends using its add-on for Firefox or your preferred browser for the best shopping experience. The remaining steps are for using the add-on.
Step 2: Start shopping on Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Sephora, Walmart or Shopify websites.
Once you’ve added Fakespot to Firefox, you will notice Fakespot Review Grades on product images on Amazon, Best Buy, Sephora, and Walmart. On eBay and Shopify you will notice seller ratings. Fakespot is always with you as you browse or search on these sites. Once you select a product, Fakespot will provide more information depending on the marketplace:
- Amazon: Review Grades, Adjusted Star Rating, Review Highlights, Seller Ratings
- Walmart: Review Grades, Adjusted Star Rating, Seller Ratings
- Best Buy: Review Grades, Adjusted Star Rating
- Sephora: Review Grades, Adjusted Star Rating
- eBay and Sephora: Seller Ratings only
Fakespot Review Grades tell you how reliable the reviews are, not the product:
- A and B: Reliable Reviews
- C: Mix of reliable and unreliable reviews
- D and F: Unreliable reviews, seek another opinion
Fakespot also knows that browser add-ons are not for everyone, so with the Fakespot Analyzer Bar you can copy and paste product links and get a Fakespot Analysis Report.
Step 3: Want the details?
Hit the “Analyze Reviews” button from the product page to get your Fakespot Analysis report. If you used the Fakespot Analyzer Bar, scroll down.
You’ll see generative AI “Pros & Cons” (yes Fakespot’s AI wrote those), “Review Highlights,” “Fake Review Analysis,” “Helpful Insights,” “Review Count,” and “Price History.”
Mozilla is all about a trustworthy internet. Fakespot empowers consumers to make informed online shopping decisions. Together, we hope to pave the way for a more transparent and reliable digital marketplace that puts people first.
